Improvement in clock-calendars



2 Sheets Sheefl.

1. K. SEEM.

Chick Gaiendars.

Patented Dec.24, 1872.

J M 7 2/ 221/0275)" U17? (#60 AM FHOTO-LITHGGRAPH/C CJMX/USBURNFS PRCESS 2Sheets--Sheet 2.

1. K. SEEM.

Clock Calendars.

N0. 134,319, I Patented Dec.24,1872.

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f2 '22 m 0 e v l L 21 o 1772/0541 jmezziar Z y/ fl m A ida/v v a 42% I25 AM. PHOTO'LI HOGRAPMC Cowl OSBORNE? PIIUCESSJ UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JOSIAH K. SEEM, OF MAOOMB, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOCK-CALENDARS.

1 Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 134,319, datedDecember 24, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH K. SEEM, re-

siding at Macomb, in the county of McDonough and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain Improvements in Clock Calendars, of which the followingis a specification:

The nature of my invention consists in certain novel combinations in themechanism of a perpetual calendar for all descriptions of clocks, whichare so fully explained in the following description and so specificallydesignated in the claims as to require no detailed preliminarystatement.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved perpetual calendar, theinclosing-case having been removed to expose the mechanism. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the calendar, showing its attachment to a clock.Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the connecting-rod between the clock-workand the calendar, showing the rack and sectoral pinion by which it isoperated. Fig. iis a vertical transverse section of the calendar in aplane indicated by dotted line 00 00 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an elevationof the unit-wheel and the cam which operates the drop acting inconjunction with the yearwheel. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of thecalendar, seen from the end where the unit-wheel is located. Fig. 7 is avertical transverse section taken in a plane indicated by dotted line yy in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of the unit and decimalwheels. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the decimal-wheel.

The same letters of reference are employed in all the figures in thedesignation of identical parts.

The mechanism of the calendar is inclosed in a suitable case, theface-plate A of which is provided with three slots or windows, behindwhich the several wheels for indicating the dates are arranged. Thenames of the week-days are printed upon the rim of the wheel B, those ofthe months upon the rim of the wheel 0, and for the numericaldesignation of the days of the months a decimalwheel, D, and aunit-wheel, E, are employed, the former being divided into four equalspaces upon its surface, one of which is left blank, while the otherscontain, respectively, the numerals 1 2 3. The surface of the unit wheelis divided, into eleven equal spaces, designated by the numerals 1 l 2 34 5 6 7 S 9 0, two ls being used to enable it to register the 1st of amonth after having, in connection with the decimal-wheel, indicated the31st. The calendar is set in motion by a drop, F, which is in turnoperated by means intermediate between it and the clock-work, which willbe hereafter described. The drop F, having the bent form, best seen inFig. 1, is pivoted by its legs to some stationary parts of theframe-work near the face-plate A, and carries on the leg adjacent to theday-wheel B a pivoted hook, G, and upon the leg contiguous to theunit-wheel E a hook, H. The day-wheel B is constructed with sevenlaterally-projecting studs, 1), and the unit-wheel E has eleven similarlaterally-projecting studs, 0. These studs 1) and c are successivelyengaged by the hooks G and H of the drop F, and through them the wheelsB and E are operated, in unison, at midnight of each day. As theunit-wheel is provided with two Is in succession, it becomes necessaryto advance it the distance of two spacesnamely, from the 0 to the second1once during each revolution, except at the end of every month havingthirty-one days, at which times the wheel is advanced regularly from the0 to the first 1. The skipping of the first numeral 1 is accomplished atthe end of every tenth day, with the exceptions alluded to, by means ofa drop, I, and a projection, 1 on the unit-wheel, a stud, i, on theformer coming in contact with the said projection I (at the time whenthe main drop is elevated and just before it falls to advance the dayand unit wheels) during its descent, causing the advance of theunit-wheel the distance'of one space independent of the action of themain drop F. The drop I is pivoted, at t on the frame-work, and issupported upon the shaft of the unit-wheel when in a position of rest.It is elevated by means of a cam, 1 which is fast upon the spindle ofthe unit-wheel and re volves in the path of the stud i on the drop onceduring each revolution of said wheel, the cam having substantially theform illustrated in Fig. 6, and being so arranged that its point shallescape from under the stud the moment the main drop F completes theadvancement of the unit-wheel, so as to expose the 0 thereon'. The studt of the drop I, which at once descends, will come in contact with theprojection I on the unit-wheel, but the wheel, being locked by the stopf on the main drop F, stand-- in g directly before one of the studs b ofthe wheel, will not be turned until the main drop has been elevated tonearly its highest position. This movement elevates the stop f above thestud b, unlocking the wheel, which at once, yielding to the weight ofthe drop I, turns on its axis so as to bring the first numeral 1 intoview. Shortly after this action the main drop F falls, advancing thewheel another step, so as to expose the second numeral 1. The stud 1)next succeeding the one standing before the stop f is made flat, asshown in Fig. 6, so that it shall come incontact with the stop f as thewheel turns, preventing its being carried too far, however. -At thehighest elevation of the main drop F the stop f will be above theflattened stud, so as to permit of the proper advancement of theunitwheel by the main drop. Pivoted latches K and K are employed toprevent the rotation of the unit and day wheels in the wrong direction;and a fixed stop, f, on the leg of the main drop adjacent to theday-wheel, locks thelatter after each advancement in manner like thestop f does the unitwheel. The decimal-wheel D is actuated by theunit-wheel through the medium of one long projection, e and one shortprojection, e, on the latter, and three short studs, d, and one longstud, al on the former. The long projec tion e comes in contact with oneof the short studs d at the end of every ninth, nineteenth, andtwenty-ninth day of every month, and the unit-wheel in passing forwardone step turns the decimal-wheel one-quarter of arevolution,successively bringing into view its numerals l 2 3. At the end of everymonth, and during the time the unit-wheel'advances from the first to thesecond numeral 1, the short projection e comes in contact with the longstud d and gives the fourth quarter of a revolution to thedecimal-wheel, bringing into view its blank space. The studs d and (1project beyond an annular ring, E, on the unit-wheel, and thedecimal-wheel, turning upon an axis eccentric to that of the unit-wheel,the studs 01 and d come, successively, in contact with the annular ringE upon its exterior side, and the latter thus constitutes a lock againstthe rotation of the decimal-wheel except at the proper times for itsrotation, when slots 0 in the ring E are brought opposite to the studwhich was locked at the time, through which the stud passes as thedecimal-wheel is turned. This slotted ring E forms a lock against therotation of the decimaLwheel in one direction. A pivoted latch, Dengages with its studs, and prevents it from turning in the oppositedirection. The spindle of the decimal-wheel extends to within closeproximity of the month'- wheel 0, and carries on this end a small disk,D, so disposed that its periphery travels between some two studs, 0,twelve of which pro-,

1 ject laterally from the month-wheel 0. Thus arranged, the disk D formsa complete lock against the independent rotation of the monthwheel. -Alatch, C, is, however, employed in one-twelfth of a revolution duringthe advancement of the unit-wheel from the first to the second numeral1, there being a notch of suitable depth in the edge of the disk D, inadvance of the spur d which notch receives the respective stud on themonth-wheel and permits its advance. At the end of every month havingthirty-one days it becomes necessary to suspend the action of the drop Iupon the unit wheel. This is effected by studs 1 on the index or yearwheel L passing under a crooked arm, I, on the drop I, after it has beenelevated by the cam I, and supporting the said drop in its'elevatedposition until the end of the' tenth day of the following month, atwhich time the studl escapes from under the arm of the drop and permitsit to act as heretofore described. The wheel'L makes one revolution eachyear, and receives thirty-six impulses to make it, from a finger or cog,m, on the cam M, which is fastened upon the spindle of the unit-wheel.

Its projecting studs 1 are properly disposed so that one shall be inposition for the support of thearm I of the drop I at the end of everymonth having thirty-one days. At the end of February of every year otherthan leapyears the wheels D and E must be advanced from the'28th to the1st during one operation of the main drop F. This result is obtained bymeans of a drop, N, the stud n of which ordinarily engages the teeth ofthe year wheel, but on the 28th of February of each year comes oppositeto a deep slot, Z, in the year-wheel, so as to permit the outer end ofthe drop to descend a suflicient distance to cause it to turn theunit-wheel the distance of two spaces by coming in contact with a projecting stud, m, on the cam M on the spindle of said unit-wheel. At thecompletion of this advancement of the unit-wheel the cam I escapes fromunder the drop I, and the latter performs its usual oflice of advancingthe unitwheel the distance of another space. The decimal-wheel, ofcourse, turns with the unit-wheel,

as usual,'during these operations. The cam M, turningwith the spindle ofthe unit-wheel,

revolves under the stud n of the drop N and,

slightly raising the latter, holds it in an elevated position while theyear-wheel is advanced by the cog m on said cam. The periodicalescapements of the point of the cam M fromwun der the stud a are soarranged that one such escapement will take place on the end of the lastday of each February, ordinarily at the conclusion of the 28th day, butin leap-years on the 29th day. To sustain the drop in its elevatedposition during the 29th day of February in leap-years, an arm, M, ispivoted to the cam M, which arm is projectedthe proper distance beyondthe point of the cam during the month of February in each leap-year by.

means of the arm 0 on the leapyear wheel O. The latter is hung upon astud on the face of the year-wheel L, and has four laterallyprojectingpins, 0. The leapyear wheel receives onequarter of a revolution duringeach revolution of the year wheel by its pins 0 coming successively incontact with a fixed arm or standard, 0 The arm M is loosely pivoted tothe cam, and it is so disposed that when the point of the cam hasreached its highest elevation it shall not project beyond said point,except when its pin m is brought into contact with the arm 0 of theleap-year wheel. The pin m plays in the slot m of the cam, which limitsthe movements of the arm. The main drop F is elevated to cause its hooksG and H to advance to the succeeding pins or studs on the day and unitwheels by means of a rod, 1?, which is pivoted at one end to the maindrop F, and carries at its other end a loop, P, embracing the spindle ofthe hour-wheel of the clock. A sectoral pinion, Q, on said spindleengages with the rack p on the loop of the rod P, near the end of everyrevolution of the hour-wheel, or between eleven and twelve oclock atnoon and between eleven and twelve oclo ck at night. By the revolutionof the sectoral pinion Q, completed at noon, the main drop F is elevated about half way, and a stud, g, on the hook Gfalls at this timeinto a notch or hook, g, on a fixed standard, G, to hold the drop Fsuspended until the cogs of the sectoral pinion come around again atnight and elevate the main drop to its highest position. The hook G isso arranged that during the latter operation its stud 9 will fall behindthe standard G, so as to oiler no obstruction to the descent of the maindrop F, which takes place the moment the cogs of the sectoral pinionbecome disengaged from the rack 19, exactly at twelve oclock at night.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. In a calendar, 2. unit-wheel divided into eleven equalnumberedspaces, two successive ones of which are marked by the numeral 1,

in combination with a decimal-wheel divided into four equal spaces,respectively, left blank,

and numbered 1 2 3, operating substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the unitwheel E, projections e and c thereon,decimal -wheel D, and studs d and d thereon, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the studs d and d on the decimal-wheel D, ofthe slotted annular ring E e on the unit -wheel E, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

4. The combination of the disk D having a radial spur, (Z and a notch inadvance thereof in its edge, with the studs 0 on the monthwheel 0,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination of the unit-wheel E, projection I thereon, cam 1 anddrop I 6 i substantially as specified.

6. The elements enumerated in the last-preceding claim, in combinationwith the studs l on the year-wheel L and crooked arm I on the drop I,substantially as specified.

7 The combination of the drop N a, slot 1 in the year-wheel L, and studm on the cam M, operating substantially as specified.

8. The elements enumerated in the last-preceding claim, in combinationwith the arm M W, and arm 0 of the leap-year wheel 0, eperatin gsubstantially as specified.

9. The combination of the drop F, rod P P p, and sectoral pinion Q,substantially as specified.

10; The elements enumerated in the lastpreceding claim, in combinationwith the stud g on the hook G and hook g on the standard G,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

JOSIAH K. SEEM. Witnesses:

A. Rowa, S. H. HAMILTON, L. A. Simmons.

